Car door construction



Oct. 22, 1935. G. MADLAND 2,018,562

CAR DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 3, 193-3 2 SheetsSheet 1 Oct. 22, 1935. e. MADLAND CAR DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 3, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES CAR DOOR CONSTRUCTION Gabriel Madland,

Chicago,

Ill., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to The Youngstown Steel Door Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 3, 1933, Serial No. 649,797

6 Claims.

This invention relates to car door construction and concerns itself primarily with sliding doors for railway house cars.

It is an object of this invention to provide a sliding door construction which will automatically latch itself when moved to closed position and in which parts may be reduced in size to eifect economy of construction while maintaining requisite strength of said parts.

A further object is to provide a'sliding door construction which will automatically latch itself when moved to closed position and in which parts thereof are so designed as to permit co-action with existing parts to obtain automatic latching and a reduction in the number of kinds of parts required to be stocked.

Other objects of the invention will become clear as the description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings forming part of this specification Figure 1 is a partial elevation of a house car showing sliding double doors embodyingthe invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4--4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate an improvement upon the invention disclosed in Patent No. 1,870,268, dated August 9, 1932, the numeral I0 indicates a portion of a side wall of a railway house car. Mounted upon the side wall is a plurality of sliding doors II and I2 adapted to close on opening (not shown) of extraordinary width formed in the side wall whereby automobiles and other bulky lading may more readily be loaded into the car. The door I I in the double door construction illustrated is customarily referred to as a main door and preferably is of metallic construction. The panel I3 of said door is preferably provided with a plurality of horizontal corrugations I4 which merge into vertical corrugations I5 and I6 formed adjacent the forward and rear edges of the door. The main door II, which is illustrated as being of the lift type, is adapted to be supported in its normal or lowered position upon a track I! which is secured in position below the door opening by means of a plurality of brackets I8 secured to said track and to the side sill I9. The track preferably is of angle formation having a horizontal flange 20 secured to the brackets I8 and the depending flange 2 I Any desired mechanism for elevating the door and supporting it upon antifriction means for sliding movement relative to the track may be utilized. One form of elevating mechanism is illustrated in Figure l of the drawings and may be referred to briefly as comprising a plurality of spaced hangers 22 and 23 provided with roller retainers 24 and 25 connected by means of a bar 26 for simultaneous operation. The roller retainers carry rollers 21 and 28. The roller retainers are J'ournaled in the door and in the hangers 22 and 23 and one of said retainers is provided with an operating lever 29 fastened to one of the roller retainers and through the actuation of which the door may be elevated and supported upon the rollers which are in engagement with the track I1. The hangers 22 and 23 are provided with upwardly extending flanges,- such as indicated at 30, which overlap the depending leg 2| of the track so as to prevent disengagement of the lower portion of the door from the track. Disengagement of the upper portion 25 of the door from the car is prevented by means of the retaining bar 3| secured to the depending flange 32 of the side plate 33 which is mounted upon the side wall ID.

The door I2 of the double door construction is customarily referred to as the auxiliary door and its construction embodies those features of the main door II hereinabove referred to. In their closed position the main and auxiliary doors are adapted to be locked together by means of the mechanism referred to generally by the reference numeral 34. Additionally, the doors are provided with a closing and opening mechanism referred to generally by the reference numeral 35.

In addition to those features of the auxiliary door which are found in the main door as well the said auxiliary door is provided adjacent its forward edge with a post or jamb 36 which is illustrated as being substantially in the form of a Z-shaped member. One of the flanges 31 of said post or jamb extends substantially parallel to the auxiliary door and is secured thereto by means of a plurality of rivets 38 which serve, additionally, to fasten a front stop Z-bar 39 to said door. It is to be observed that the flange 31 of the jamb, together with the front edge Z-bar,

'provide a recess 40 within which the forward edge of the main door is received in the closed positions of the main and auxiliary doors. The jamb 36 is provided with a flange 4| which extends inwardly and transversely of the door and a flange 42 which is spaced from and substantially parallel to the door.

The jamb is adapted to carry a latch member 43 adjacent its upper edge. This member is preferably secured to said jamb by means of a plurality of rivets 44. The latch member comprises a base portion 45 from which the attaching flange F and reinforcing ribs 46 and 41 depend. A flange 48 preferably extends between the reinforcing ribs 46. Extending upwardly from the base portion 45 is a plurality of spaced walls 49 and 56 which, at their upper extremities, are provided with inturned flanges 5| and 52. Below each of these flanges there is provided lateral projections 53 and 54.

A latch member 55 is secured to the lower portion of said jamb by means of a plurality of rivets 56 extending through the attaching flange 51 and the jamb 36. The latching element 55 is provided with a base portion 58 which, as clearly illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of'the drawings, is deformed so as to provide 9. depending projection 59 which extends substantially between spaced walls 60 and 6| depending from said base portion. The depending projection 59 is preferably provided with a plurality of apertures 62 and 63 for a purpose hereinafter indicated. The walls 69 and 6| are provided with inturned flanges 64 and 65.

The latch members 43 and 55- are adapted to cooperate with latch members 66 and 61 secured to the car, respectively, above and below the jamb 36 to automatically lock said jamb in its lowered home position against sliding movement. The upper latch member 66 is preferably secured to the side plate 33 by means of a plurality of rivets 68. The latch member 66 depends from said side plate and is provided with a pair of spaced flanges 69 and extending in opposite directions from each side of the latch member. As clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, the projections 53 and 54 areadapted to be received in the lowered home position of the lamb in the space between said flanges. Ad-

. ditionally, the latch member 66 carries the walls H and 12 which are adapted to engage the latch member 45 secured to the jamb in the closing movement thereof so as to-limit said movement and insure proper engagement between the projections 53 and 54 and the pairs of spaced flanges 69 and 10 provided on the upper latch member 66.

The lower latch member 61, as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, is preferably secured directly upon the side plate I9 by means of a plurality of rivets 13. A portion 14 of the lower latch member 61 extends upwardly and is adapted to be positioned between the spaced walls 69 and 6| provided upon the jamb latch member 55 in the home position of said jamb. An upwardly opening channel provided with a bottom 16 which lies preferably above the floor of thehouse car is formed in said portion 14 and, as shown in Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings, the upwardly opening channel member 15 extends through the sides of the portion 14. It will be apparent from Figure 4 of the drawings that in the lowered home position of the jamb the projection 59 will extend into the upwardly opening channel 15 so as to prevent sliding movement of the lower portion of the jamb. The apertures 62 and 63 provided in the projection 59 communicate with the upwardly opening channel 15 so that any vided with the walls 11 and 18 which are adapted 5 to engage the lower latch member 55 secured to the jamb in the closing movement of the jamb so as to limit said movement and insure proper engagement between the latch members 55 and 61. 10 In order to expose the door opening provided in the side wall H) of the house car the locking mechanism 34 is released. The operating lever 29 provided on the main door H is then actuated by a downward pull so as to elevate the door 15 above the track and support it for movement upon the rollers 24 and 25. The main door may then be moved toopen position. To move the auxiliary door to open position the elevating mechanism is actuated and thedoor raised above the track. Since the post or jamb 36 is secured to the door elevation of the door will effect elevation of the jamb. As the lamb is elevated it will be apparent that the projections 53 and 54, provided on the spaced walls 49 and 50 carried by the latch member 43, secured to the upper portion 01' the jamb will be disengaged from the spaced flanges 69 and 10 provided on the upper car latch member 66. Similarly, the projection 59 formed on the latch member 55 secured to the lower portion of the jamb will be elevated and disengaged from the upwardly opening channel member 15 provided in the lower car latch member 61. The auxiliary door may then readily be moved to open position. In closing the door opening provided in the car side In the auxiliary door I2 is first moved to closed position. The door is first elevated and in its movement toward closed position the upper and lower jamb latch members 43 and 55, respectively, may abut the 40.

walls 1| and 12 and 11 and 18 provided, respectively, on the upper and lower car latch mem- V bers. Upon release of the operating lever 29 the auxiliary door l2, together with the post or jamb as, will automatically be lowered and in this lowering movement the projections 53 and 54 will be received between the spaced flanges 69 and 19 and the projection 59 will be received within the channelportion 15. In this position of the door sliding movement toward open posltion is prevented.

The instant invention has been described in relation to the double doors of an automobile house car. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited thereto but may be utilized with single doors for house cars and other structures as well.

The instant invention, moreover, has been illustrated in relation to a lamb which is rigidly secured to a sliding door so as to be constrained to vertical movement therewith. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is also applicable to a jamb carried by a straight slidin'g door-that is, a door which is not of the lift type where the lamb is capable of vertical movement relative to the door upon which it is mounted.

It is apparent that numerous changes and modifications in the details of the invention will 70 g claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a railway house car, in combination, a sliding door, a jamb capable of vertical movement relative to said car secured to said door adjacent the forward edge thereof extending inwardly and transversely of said car, a fixed projection extending laterally from the top of said jamb, a stop member for said jamb secured to said car, spaced flanges extending laterally from one side of said member in the direction of said jamb projection, said projection being received between said flanges in the lowered home position of said jamb to prevent sliding movement of said door, said projection and said flanges being adapted to clear in the elevated position of said jamb, and means for elevating said jamb.

2. In a house car, in combination, a sliding door, a jamb capable of vertical movement relative to said car secured to said door adjacent the forward edge thereof and extending inwardly and transversely of said car, spaced walls provided at the top of said jamb having inwardly directed laterally extending projections, a combined stop and latch member for said jamb rigidly secured to said car, spaced flanges extending laterally from opposite sides of said member adapted to be positioned between said spaced walls, said projections being received between spaced flanges in the lowered home position of said jamb to prevent sliding movement of said door, said projections and said flanges being adapted to clear in the elevated position of said jamb, and means for elevating said jamb.

3. In a house car, in combination, a sliding door, a jamb capable of vertical movement relative to said car secured to said dooradjacent the forward edge thereof and extending inwardly and transversely of said car, spaced walls depending from the bottom of said jamb, said jamb carrying a projection extending downwardly and disposed between said spaced walls, a combined stop and latch member for said jamb rigidly secured to said car having a portion adapted to lie between said walls provided with an upwardly opening recess having a closed bottom, said recess opening through the sides of said portion, said projection being seated in said recess in the lowered home position of said jamb to prevent sliding movement of said door, said projection and said recess being adapted to clear in the elevated position of said jamb, and means for elevating said jamb.

4. In a railway house car, in combination, a sliding door, a jamb capable of vertical movement relative to said car secured to said door adjacent the forward edge thereof and extending inwardly and transversely of said car, a latch member rigidly secured to the lower portion of said jamb, said latch member having a base portion, said base portion being deformed to provide a hollow downwardly extending projection, a cooperating stop and latch member for said jamb rigidly secured to said car provided 5 with an upwardly opening recess having a closed bottom, said recess opening through the sides of said second mentioned latch member, said pro? jection being seated in said recess in the lowered home position of said jamb to prevent sliding movement of said-door, said projection and said recess being adapted to clear in the elevated position of said jamb, and means for elevating said jamb.

5. In a house car, in combination, a sliding door, a jamb capable of vertical movement relative to said car secured to said door adjacent the forward edge thereof and extending inwardly and transversely of said car, a latch casting rigidly secured to the lower portion of said jamb, said latch casting having a base portion, said base portion being deformed to provide a hollow downwardly extending projection, drainage openings provided in said projection, a cooperating stop and latch member for said jamb rigidly secured to said car provided with an upwardly opening recess having a closed bottom, said recess opening through the sides of said second mentioned latch member, said projection being seated in said recess in the lowered home position of said jamb to prevent sliding movement of said door, said openings in said projection communicating with said recess in the said position of said jamb, said projection and recess being adapted to clear in the elevated 85 position of said jamb, and means for elevating said jamb.

6. In a house car, in combination, a sliding door, a jamb capable of vertical movement relative to said car secured to said door adjacent the forward edge thereof and extending inwardly and transversely of said car, spaced walls depending from the bottom of said jamb, said jamb carrying a projection extending transversely to said door and connecting said spaced walls, a stop and latch member for said jamb rigidly secured to said car having a portion adapted to lie between said walls provided with an upwardly opening recess having a closed bottom, said recess opening through the sides of said portion, said projection being seated in said recess in the lowered home position of said jamb to prevent sliding movement of said door, said projection and recess being adapted to clear in the elevated position of said jamb, and means for elevating said jamb.

GABRIEL MADLAND. 

